Guernsey joins Jersey in Brittany partnership

Guernsey, Jersey and the department of Ille et Vilaine in Brittany have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at promoting greater partnership between the jurisdictions.

Jersey first signed a cooperation agreement with the French department in 2008 and they have met annually since.

Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, Jersey's Minister for External Relations, described it as "a profound success and a valuable forum to share knowledge and opportunities for the benefit of both our jurisdictions".

Guernsey has important existing social and cultural links with the region of Brittany, and the department of Ille et Vilaine in particular, so this summit has provided the opportunity to begin to build on and strengthen these links as well as to discuss some new areas for potential joint working with some of our closest neighbours. At this time of change, as the UK looks to start negotiations to withdraw from the EU, it is important for Guernsey to continue to develop its existing relationships.

Deputy Jonathan Le TocqMember of the Policy and Resources Committee with responsibility for External Relations

Aurigny review: Call for full economic analysis on runway extension

Half of the Aurigny Strategic Review panel members have called for a full economic analysis of extending the runway at Guernsey Airport.

Tim Robins, James Dent and Paul Smith's report suggests larger aircraft used for short haul flights would then be able to land.

The current runway is only just sufficient in length to support the Embraer at its maximum operating limits and any increase in length would not only improve the safety margins for this aircraft but would also enable the operation of larger aircraft such as A319s, A320s and 737s, which are the standard short haul aircraft for many airlines.

Aurigny Strategic Review Report Two

Both reports from the panel suggest investigating improving the current runways with approach lighting systems "mitigate against the impact of fog on flight reliability".

It involved the 5in refracting telescope at the observatory of the Astronomy Section of La Societe Guernesiaise. It was fitted with a special solar filter, but also involved timing and a lot of patience.

Mr Le Conte said it took 1.3 seconds for the station to cross the sun and during that time he got five images using a very fast exposure to "freeze" its motion as it passed through the middle of the sun.

Jean Dean worked with those five images to "stack and process" them to create the image that has been a hit on social media.

Two Guernsey men are hoping to take on the world's longest canoe and kayak race later this month.

George Smitheram and Edward Allen are believed to be the youngest crew taking part in the Yukon River Quest in Canada from 28 June to 2 July.

Competing under the name Yukon Do It they are raising money for the Guernsey Alzheimer's Association.

Mr Smitheram said the 444 mile course would involve about 60 hours of kayaking over three days.

BBC

"We've been training for six months and out on the water four to five times a week over the past two months," Mr Smitheram said.

"We're on an island so we have all the tidal things to worry about, but over there it'll just be going downstream so there's less things to worry about.

"Depending on the weather conditions you can get really high standing waves if it's really windy or you can be really lucky and have really flat still waters. There's a couple of points where there are rapids, which neither of us have gone down before.

Aurigny boss welcomes strategic review report

The boss of Guernsey government owned airline Aurigny welcomed two reports into its future.

Mark Darby said the reports give them a clearer idea of what the States wants from the airline. He said they had been making up policy in a vacuum due to a lack of any clear direction in the past.

He said some aspects of the reports, if implemented, would cost the States money up front, particularly in terms of subsiding unprofitable routes.

We will take a few tough decisions but it is really looking at the funding oft the routes. We will look at each route and each group of routes and say 'we want that to be continued' and the States will fund that as required.

Mark DarbyAurigny CEO

Mr Darby said the report gives them the clarity they need and shows the States "recognise what they want us to do and provide the money upfront to allow us to do it as a subsidy if needed".

Call for Aurigny to sell jet as part of fleet rationalisation

"Serious consideration" should be given to selling Aurigny's Embraer 195 jet in favour of leasing an alternative jet or jets, believe three members of the Aurigny Strategic Review panel.

It is one of the areas Pilot Tim Robins, transport economist and Alderney States member James Dent and Guernsey International Business Association council member Paul Smith thought differently than the rest of the panel.

They recommend:

Active consideration of disposing of the Embraer jet replaced by a "damp lease arrangement with another operator"

Consider the use of alternatives to the Dornier 228 - including the Cessna Caravan - on the Alderney service

A move to Aurigny's default position being to lease aircraft - rather than buy - to maximise flexibility

BBC

The current ownership of the Embraer is one of the factors that constrains the management's ability to rationalise and optimise its fleet. The panel has been advised that owing to favourable moves in the USD/GBP exchange rate the Embraer could currently be sold at a profit.

'First step taken in providing proper clarity' on Aurigny's role

Posted at14:3912 Jun

These recommendations are the first step in helping to provide proper clarity around what the States expects from Aurigny and the role that it plays for the Bailiwick. The uncertainty around these areas over the past year or so has created some difficulty for Aurigny in planning effectively for the future and the STSB is now working with the airline to support it in developing its forward plans.

Deputy Charles ParkinsonPresident, States Trading Supervisory Board

The States Trading Supervisory Board is responsible for carrying out the States' role as shareholder of some of the incorporated companies owned by the States, including Aurigny.

Jersey sea wall work to start in July

Work to raise the height of the sea wall at Beaumont in Jersey will start in July and will take about 14 weeks.

The area around the Gunsite has been flooded on several occasions when there have been storms and high spring tides. The Department for Infrastructure says this is getting worse due to climate change.

There will be two phases to the work, the first will see the wall made about a foot higher from the Gunsite eastwards. The second will see it get higher still but won't start until 2018 when funding is available.

BBC

The residents of the Gunsite and Beaumont area have suffered, particularly in recent years, from flooding which has caused distress and property damage.

Aurigny review: 'No censensus, but agreement in many significant areas'

Posted at14:0812 Jun

It is no secret that the review panel has, in a number of areas, been unable to reach a consensus. However there are many more areas, all of them significant, where agreement has been reached. Taken together, these recommendations provide a platform for significant and positive change, and it is believed [it will] provide a basis for Aurigny as a business to reduce their losses and provide a service that supports our community and our economy.

Le Gal trial: Sent a text to her son before collision

Luxmy Gopal

BBC Channel Islands News

Posted at12:2712 Jun

A court in Jersey has heard that a woman, accused of causing
the death of a three year old boy by dangerous driving, failed to notice
roadsigns and pedestrians, and sent a text to her son, shortly before the
collision.

Pringle family

Rebekah Le Gal from Mont Millais was driving her van down Tunnel Street near the Millennium Town Park last June when she hit Clinton Pringle, who was on holiday with his family in Jersey. He died from his injuries a few days later.

In the Royal Court today, the prosecution said Ms Le Gal hadn't been paying attention to signs in the area, including a No Entry and a Give Way sign. They said she hadn't noticed Clinton's mother and aunt screaming and waving as she approached him.

The court also heard she'd used her mobile phone behind the wheel to reply to a text from her son, in which he asked for his grandmother's phone number, shortly before the collision. The trial continues.

Health 'working on mental health action plan'

Deputy Emilie Yerby from the Guernsey Health and Social Care Committee says they are working with local mental health charities to create an action plan to improve mental health care in the island.

She was responding to concerns raised by GPs that some people were falling through the gaps and more energy needed to be put into mental health care for children and teenagers.

BBC

The most important thing we have to do is to make sure people feel they have consistent and sustained support when they need it and that is something we will be doing through the mental health strategy.

Jersey needs to make discrimination law 'a priority'

Jersey needs to get its discrimination laws completed as a matter of priority. That's the view of the manager of the citizens advice charity.

BBC

Malcolm Ferey says the organisation still gets complaints and questions from people on the subject of discrimination.

He said the island needed to catch up with other jurisdictions on the matter as it would improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Jersey is introducing discrimination legislation gradually. It started with racial discrimination and then extended it to cover age and sex discrimination. The final phase will see disability discrimination legislation later next year.